All of them — Johnson, Newman, Stewart and probably a handful more such as Jeff Gordon, Kyle Larson and Kasey Kahne — likely would have been racing Sunday at Indy if major-league open-wheel racing hadn't imploded in a paroxysm of meaningless acrimony 20 years ago. (Kurt Busch provided a glimpse of that parallel universe Sunday, finishing sixth as the fourth driver to attempt the IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader in the same day.)

That's partially why it's become so important – and rare – when an American such as Hunter-Reay wins the Memorial Day weekend classic that cemented Foyt, Andretti and Unser as household names in this country.

"My dream has come true," the Dallas-born, Florida-raised driver said after becoming the first American to win Indy since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006.

"I've watched this race since I was in diapers sitting on the floor in front of the TV. My son did it today. I'm thrilled. This is an American tradition."

It hasn't been for so many years since IndyCar was fractured into rival series that lessened its stature while sending prospects scurrying to stock-car racing, which enjoys a larger profile and more robust sponsorship climate.

Hunter-Reay, who entered the postrace interview room to a hearty chant of "USA! USA!" from fans, is only the fifth American to triumph in the 19 Indy 500s since the formation of the Indy Racing League in 1996 signaled a civil war that didn't end until 2008.

PHOTOS: Ryan Hunter-Reay through the years

Ryan Hunter-Reay, born Dec. 17, 1980, has been racing in the IndyCar Series since 2007 and in open-wheel racing since 2003. He won the 2012 IndyCar championship and the 2014 Indianapolis 500. (Photo: Mike DiNovo, USA TODAY Sports)

From left, Ryan Hunter-Reay, wife Beccy Gordon, team owner Michael Andretti and wife Jodi Ann Paterson take a drive around the track after Hunter-Reay won his first Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2014. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

In 2012, Ryan Hunter-Reay became the first American to win an IndyCar title since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006. Hunter-Reay won four races last year to lead all drivers. (Photo: Robert Laberge, Getty Images)

Ryan Hunter-Reay secured the 2012 Izod IndyCar Series championship after finishing fourth at the season finale in Fontana, Calif. Hunter-Reay edged Will Power by three points in the final standings. (Photo: Reed Saxon, AP)

Ryan Hunter-Reay waits in line to qualify for the 2012 Indianapolis 500 on May 19, while his fiancee Beccy Gordon holds an umbrella on pit road at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)

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The significance wasn't lost even among the set that turned Indianapolis into an international showplace.

"It was great to see an American driver winning," said three-time winner Helio Castroneves, who finished runner-up by 0.06 seconds in the second-closest finish in Indy 500 history. "It's great because for several years, the series was (about) a foreigner up front. It's great to see American drivers succeed. The IndyCar Series is showing it's the right way to go. I say that in a positive way, and I mean it."

Castroneves is Exhibit A for how an Indy 500 win can change someone's life. Once known only to hard-core IndyCar fans as the effervescent Brazilian who went to drive for Roger Penske, he now is also the guy who rubbed shoulders with Wayne Newton while tangoing his way to a ''Dancing With The Stars'' championship.

Castroneves has yet to win a title, but his Indy success puts him among the series' top three in popularity and name recognition.

The same will be true for Hunter-Reay, whose 2012 championship will pale in comparison with having his face chiseled on the Borg-Warner Trophy. According to Repucom, which measures the impact and valuation of sports sponsorships, 2012 Indy winner Dario Franchitti received twice as much media value as Hunter-Reay did for the title.

"This is the granddaddy of them all," Hunter-Reay said. "This is where drivers were made and history is made. When I was a kid, I looked up to the Andrettis, Foyt, Unser, Mears.

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Team owner Michael Andretti can appreciate it, having led more laps than anyone at Indy without getting a victory. Though he claimed a championship and 42 victories in the CART IndyCar Series, he is as famous for his perpetual heartaches at Indy as a driver as for three victories here as a team owner.

"Going up against the best in the world, not just the United States, is a big deal," Andretti said. "That's why to me it does feel more precious when an American wins it, because he won in an international field."

Hunter-Reay had the opportunity to go domestic in NASCAR. He turned down a chance to test for Hendrick Motorsports several years ago in favor of driving for Bobby Rahal's IndyCar team in 2008.

"It was always IndyCar for me," he said. "I grew up a diehard fan of the sport. I came up in karting emulating these guys when Michael was at his prime. It was a one-way, one-track road. There was no other avenue."

He kept after it while bouncing between underfunded rides in 2009, and the persistence paid off when a one-race deal with Andretti Autosport turned into a full-time deal in 2010.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime," he said. "I was bouncing from team to team to team. I had to make it happen in a short amount of time (and) pressure-packed circumstances. We won our (fourth) race at Long Beach. It's just a fantastic, fantastic story."

It's a red, white and blue tale of persistence. IndyCar will need many more of them if it hopes to begin a long road back to competing with NASCAR for the attention of mainstream America.